THE UNLUCKY Lotto winner whose £12million ticket was chucked in the bin will have to wait FIVE MONTHS to scoop the cash.
Kath Main says she “feels sick all the time” as she waits for operator Allwyn to make a decision on whether she can claim the money.
Kath Main is waiting to hear if the huge jackpot is hers Credit: Facebook
They are expected to rule whether the jackpot is rightfully hers within 30 days after an investigation.
But even if she is successful, rules on lost tickets mean mum-of-two Kath, 46, will not get the life changing payout until December 3 – in time for Christmas.
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The rugby club secretary said: “Because it’s a lost ticket we’ve been told we couldn’t have the money until December anyway.”
Kath, who had played the winning numbers for 20 years, said: “It’s got to be mine, there’s no other way.”
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Shop owner Karan chucked Kath’s winning ticket away Credit: Marc Giddings
Lottery play is now suspended at the Londis in South Wales Credit: Marc Giddings
Kath’s winning numbers; 8,10, 26, 30, 35, and 42, are based on her and husband Marcus’ birthdays, her and Marcus’ age when they started playing, and two random numbers “to make it up to six”.
The mum had taken the ticket to be checked at a Londis in Abercynon, South Wales, where they said it was not a winner.
By the time Kath had realised she was the winner the bins had been emptied.
She told Allwyn what happened, with proof of purchase and doorbell footage from a hair salon showing her mum at the time.
Mum-of-two Kath says she’s trying not to think about what she’d do with the money in case she misses out Credit: Facebook
Kath says she’s the ‘unluckiest person to win the lottery’ Credit: Facebook
Her dad Phillip Williams, who runs a cafe in their former mining village of Abercynon in South Wales, joked: “I will have to cancel the Rolls Royce if we don’t get the money.
“To be honest it won’t change things. I will still come to work. I don’t want for anything.
“Maybe a nice holiday.”
Kath grew up working at her parents Phillip and Fiona’s cafe, Fives, which is a community hub in the deprived former colliery town.
Every day dozens of pensioners gather there to share news and socialise.
Instead of taking tips, Fiona and Phillip use the money to donate to local good causes.
Semi-retired criminal solicitor and cafe regular Pat Matthews, 78, said: “They are lovely, very good people and really important to the community.
“It’s an ageing demographic who come here and they often give people a lift home or find someone to give them a lift.
“It couldn’t happen to nicer people.
“The majority of people around here are very happy for them but there’s always some people who are jealous.”
The Londis has no CCTV because it is being renovated.
Owner Karan Kumar said: “The machine could have been playing up. Now they are doing an investigation. It would be amazing if she won.”
Lottery play has been suspended in the shop while the investigation is carried out, with the machine switched off and scratchcards removed.
Allwyn confirmed the probe, adding it is “the only major lottery that allows players to claim a prize if a winning ticket has been lost, stolen or destroyed”.
It will now take up to 30 days to decide if Kath has won.
Court battle, fraud & rapists
By Alex West
THE National Lottery has seen numerous wrangles over prize sums.
Charlotte Cox, 39, ditched Michael Cartlidge, 41, weeks after the couple scooped £1million on a scratchcard.
She bought the card in Spalding, Lincs. Security engineer Michael said he suggested the purchase and tried to transfer money to her in the shop.
Camelot, which ran the Lottery at the time, launched a probe in 2024 and indicated the winnings would be split.
Allwyn then took over the Lotto and awarded Charlotte all the prize. Michael has begun legal action for half the cash.
In 2019, beggars Mark Goodram and Jon-Ross Watson, both from Bolton, fraudulently used a stolen debit card in London to buy scratchcards — with one winning £4million.
They never received the cash and instead were jailed for fraud.
Camelot was fined £3million for accepting a fraudulent £2.5million claim by rapist Edward Putman. He conspired with Giles Knibbs to forge a winning ticket in 2009.
Camelot insider Knibbs, 38, who had access to the numbers of unclaimed winning tickets, took his own life in 2015 after confessing the crime. Putman was then jailed for nine years in 2019 for fraud.
And rapist Iorworth Hoare won £7.2million on the Lotto in 2004 — buying the ticket on day release while serving time for attempted rape.
